The present invention relates to low or zero-tack composite materials such as pre-pregs and their use in automated manufacturing, particularly robotic pick and place. The present invention further relates to an automated process for preparing an article, particularly a molded article, from a fiber-reinforced composition material. The molded articles prepared by the process described herein are particularly suitable as components for transport applications, and particularly the automotive industry. The automotive components prepared by the present invention are particularly suitable as mid- or high-volume automotive parts, in which cost and speed of production are paramount. The present invention provides a process in which the cutting and handling of pre-preg materials is greatly simplified, providing advantages of efficiency and economy. The lay-up time according to the present invention is significantly reduced, allowing a reduction in the unit cost per component and/or allowing the high volume of component production desired in the automotive industry.

Methods and apparatus to form venting pathways in pressure sensitive adhesives for laminate stacks are disclosed. An example method includes forming a laminate stack including a gas permeable nonwoven layer and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, a surface of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer facing a surface of the gas permeable nonwoven layer, and processing the laminate stack such that a plurality of venting pathways are formed in the pressure sensitive adhesive layer to enable trapped gas to pass through the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

The present invention provides a non-porous, breathable and waterproof transparent plastic film on a plastic substrate and methods for fabricating the same. The film includes a thermoplastic polyester resin, an amphiphilic modifier having a hydrophilic segment that acts as a channel for water vapor transmission through the film connected to a hydrophobic segment that anchors the amphiphilic modifier to a portion of the polyurethane base resin and a compatibilizer. The resultant non-porous, breathable and waterproof transparent plastic film has a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) or breathability of not less than 250 g/m.sup.2/24 hr according to ASTM E96B, and having at least 90% of the transmittance. They are also resistant to liquid penetration and micro-contaminants such as bacteria and virus, making them suitable for broad applications in medical, healthcare and food packaging industries.

There is provided a flexible, helically wound conduit for a breathing circuit. The conduit includes an inlet, an outlet, and an enclosing wall defining a flow passage between the inlet and the outlet, wherein at least a region of the enclosing wall is permeable to water vapor and one or more of O.sub.2 and CO.sub.2. The axial tensile strength of the enclosing wall is greater than 40N. Further provided are limbs comprising the conduit, a method of manufacturing the conduit and the use of the conduit to remove water vapor and/or CO.sub.2 from gas exhaled by a patient.

In order to prevent degradation of appearance, prevent a decrease in flexibility, and improve non-elasticity in a non-stretchable region in an elastic film stretchable structure, the invention is characterized by having an elastic film stretchable structure (20X) formed by stacking an elastic film (30) between a first sheet layer (20A) and a second sheet layer (20B), wherein a region having the elastic film stretchable structure (20X) includes a non-stretchable region (70) and a stretchable region (80) provided at least at one side of the non-stretchable region (70) in a stretching and contracting direction, the stretchable region (80) being stretchable in the stretching and contracting direction, the first sheet layer (20A) and the second sheet layer (20B) are joined via through holes (31) penetrating the elastic film (30) at the large number of sheet bond portions (40) arranged at intervals, and the non-stretchable region (70) does not have a section in which the elastic film (30) linearly continues along the stretching and contracting direction, due to presence of the through holes (31), even though the elastic film (30) continues in the stretching and contracting direction.

A high-ageing-stable planar sheet for the building sector and to the use of a high-ageing-stable planar sheet in the building sector, in particular as a sarking sheet, underlay sheet and/or sheathing sheet in a roof construction and/or a faade sheet in a wall construction.

Described herein is a method for producing photochromic silicone hydrogel contact lenses in a relatively efficient and consistent manner from a polymerizable composition under a controlled thermal curing scheme. The main polymerizable components in the polymerizable composition are a high radical-reactive hydrophilic (meth)acrylamido monomer, a high radical-reactive siloxane-containing (meth)acrylamido monomer, and a polysiloxane vinylic crosslinker(s) free of low-reactive ethylenically unsaturated group as the main crosslinker. The thermal free radical initiator having a 10 hour half-life temperature (T.sub.10h?) of from about 50? C. to about 90? C. The controlled thermal curing scheme includes maintaining a first curing temperature of from about (T.sub.10h??20)? C. to about T.sub.10h?? C. for a first curing time and maintaining a second curing temperature of from about (T.sub.10h?+10)? C. to about (T.sub.10h?+35)? C. for a second curing time.

An eye-mountable device is provided that includes a plurality of rigid polymer layers separated by liquid crystal layers. Certain eye-mountable devices includes a first rigid polymer layer, a second rigid polymer layer, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second rigid polymer layers. The liquid crystal layer has a refractive index that is electrically controllable between an ordinary refractive index and an extraordinary refractive index, and the first rigid polymer layer and second rigid polymer layer include materials having a refractive index similar to the ordinary refractive index of the liquid crystal layer. The first rigid polymer layer and second rigid polymer layer may also include a combination of monomer-derived units that provide cast-moldable materials with high oxygen permeability. Methods for fabricating the eye-mountable device and for changing the focal length of the eye-mountable device are also provided.

Disclosed is an elastomeric bladder tool and related systems and methods. In one embodiment, the elastomeric bladder tool comprises an elastomeric inner layer substantially defining an inner cavity of the elastomeric bladder tool, an elastomeric outer layer substantially defining an outer surface of the elastomeric bladder tool, and a permeable middle layer positioned between the elastomeric inner layer and the elastomeric outer layer. The permeable middle layer has greater permeability than both the elastomeric outer layer and the elastomeric inner layer to allow for evacuating of gases that have entered the permeable middle layer.

Provided are a mold case that prevents deformation of a microneedle array, and a manufacturing method of a microneedle array. The problems are solved by the manufacturing method of a microneedle array including: a filling step of filling needle-like recessed portions of a mold having flexibility and having a plurality of the needle-like recessed portions on a front surface, with a liquid material; and a drying step of drying the liquid material in a state where the mold filled with the liquid material is stored in the mold case which causes an edge portion of the mold to be sandwiched between the lid and the pedestal.